Dhanush to direct and star in upcoming Thenandal Studios project; film slated for 2018 release

Following a competent directorial debut in Power Paandi, which was unanimously praised by critics, Dhanush has officially announced that his sophomore directorial will be for Thenandal Studios Limited, who also bankrolled the most successful Tamil film of 2017 — Vijay’s Mersal.

Dhanush. YouTube

Taking to his micro-blogging page, Dhanush, in a surprising revelation, said that he would play the lead role in the film. In the heartwarming coming-of-age drama Power Paandi, Dhanush played the younger version of veteran actor Raj Kiran, who played the titular character, in the flashback sequence.

Talking about collaborating with Dhanush, producer Hema Rukmani, who is buoyed up by the groundbreaking success of Mersal, exclusively tells FirstPost, “It’s a very interesting script. We are really excited and are looking forward to working with Dhanush both as the director and hero of our next. It will be a 2018 release. We are super thrilled, and waiting to reveal the title of this project. It will go on floors from early 2018.”

Thenandal Films has lined up a bevy of promising films for their 2018 slate. Besides Dhanush’s yet-to-be-titled movie, they also have their flagship project Sangamithra, starring Disha Patani in the titular role, in the pre-production phase. Maya filmmaker Ashwin Saravanan’s Iravaakaalam, Rajesh and Santhanam’s upcoming film, PS Mithran and Udhayanidhi Stalin’s next, Sasi’s multi-starrer with Siddharth and GV Prakash are the other films of Thenandal, currently in various stages of production.

According to reliable sources, Dhanush’s project will also feature a brief portion set in the pre-independence era. The team is currently busy with the pre-production work of the film, whose lead heroine is yet to be finalized. “The makers have already initiated talks with a few actresses, and if everything goes well, it will be a new combination for Dhanush,” informs a source from the film’s unit.

Dhanush’s first release in 2018 will be ace filmmaker Gautham Menon’s romantic thriller Enai Nokki Paayum Thota, which is on the brink of completion. The team is eyeing a Valentine’s Day weekend release in February 2018. Dhanush has co-starred with Megha Akash in the film, which Darbuka Siva’s music.

He is also busy shooting for National Award-winning director Vetrimaaran’s gangster saga Vada Chennai, which chronicles the life of a gangster over a period of three decades. The movie is jointly produced by Lyca Productions, Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films, and Vetrimaaran’s Grass Root Film Company. Vada Chennai is also nearing the final stages of shooting.

Another project which the fans of the actor will be eagerly looking forward to next year is Maari 2, helmed by director Balaji Mohan. Produced by Dhanush’s home banner, Maari 2 has Sai Pallavi playing the leading lady. The latest update from the team is that Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, who has had a fruitful 2017 with films such as Vikram Vedha and Sathya, has been roped in to play a pivotal role in the movie. Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas is essaying the role of a villain. The shooting is expected to kickstart as soon as Dhanush completes his ongoing assignments. Yuvan Shankar Raja, who has delivered memorable soundtracks for Dhanush in films like Kaadhal Konden, Thulluvadho Ilamai, and Pudhupettai , has been signed to compose the music for the film.